Overview: Most people who visit the granaries come by way of boat. About 52 river miles below Lees Ferry, Nankoweap Creek drains into the Colorado at the largest delta in the entire canyon. The area can be accessed on foot by backpackers by a variety of routes, the easiest route being the unmaintained Nankoweap Trail -- the GCNPs "MOST difficult named trail", the largest rim-to-river elevation gain, and one of the longest distance trails in the entire park. But those arriving by boat have only a short, steep, half-mile hike from the beach up to the granaries.

History: Despite the geologic mysteries surrounding its creation (or continued existence), archaeological findings show that this alluvial fan delta clearly provided a habitat for historic inhabitants. In 1960, archaeologist Douglas W. Schwartz investigated the area, including the granaries nestled in the cliffs above the river. He found corncobs, a pumpkin shell, and pumpkin seeds inside the granaries. The people who inhabited the delta harvested these and other crops between 1050 and 1150 A.D. Schwartz gathered other evidence of inhabitation in the area including other ruins, a petroglyph site and thirty-four pueblo house structures, leading him to conclude as many as 900 people may have lived in the area at that time!

Hike: From the main boat beach below Nankoweap Creek, follow the well-traveled route to the north. Here the footing is sandy, weaving in and out of mesquite, tamarisk, bamboo, and other scrub brush. If you are coming from the Upper Nankoweap beach, simply follow a route westward across the rocky sand dune toward the cliffs above. Both routes meet at the base of where the trail turns uphill, directly below the granaries, which are clearly visible above you. From here there is only low desert scrub amongst the exposed rock slope. (The official GPS route for this hike begins at the main beach and ends at the upper beach showing the route to or from both beach/camp sites).

The trail climbs steeply and directly, rarely wasting time with switchbacks. It is rocky, but footing is generally good, with large slabs having been placed as sturdy steps along much of the route. As you ascend to over 600 feet above the river, the views downstream are striking. Over 3-miles of river are visible in a straight line, with the towering walls of the Desert Facade dominating the eastern wall of this lowest stretch of Marble Canyon. The plateau above sits at 6000-feet, 3,200-feet above the river!

The top of the trail becomes more unstable, with more loose footing and scree. Many will stop at an excellent flat overlook just below the base of the cliff. Others can continue and follow the path which traverses below the cliff to the north, and then switchbacks up the first level and back to the primary granary. Some scrambling is required to get the extra 10-20 feet up to the granary level and those uncomfortable with heights and exposure may choose to stay just below. From here, excellent photo opportunities exist and afternoon shade provides a welcome break from the heat.

For the most adventurous, a narrow shelf continues from below the primary granary southward to a secondary enclave. A third can be found even farther south, this one being a large cavernous opening in the cliff wall, and the most prominent feature when seen from the river below. This one however requires serious contemplation, with severe exposure, and a 3-foot section of the shelf which is missing and must be traversed very carefully! This third opening features no ancient ruins so the reward of getting to it may not be worth the risk for most.

When you've seen all you want to see, head back down to the beach, watching your step carefully on the steep descent.

RESPECT THE RUINS: One of the reasons sites like this are so special is because it is amazing to see something so old remaining in such good condition. Please help keep it that way! Don't touch the ruins. Don't go in the granaries. Don't remove anything you find or see there. Observe, enjoy, take pictures. Hopefully it will still look the same in another 900 years!

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

Most recent Triplog Reviews

Nankoweap Granaries

@friendofThundergod wrote such a great trip log for this trek, so I don't have much to add. I had been to the Nankoweap area on a rafting trip four years ago (almost to the date) so I had seen the granaries and a little bit of the area - but nothing like what we saw this weekend. The view of the Colorado from the granaries really can't be matched and, not to sound like a brown-noser, but seeing the granaries was definitely a little more special after the past few months of learning more and more about ancient AZ civilizations from Mr. Wilderness.

Sunday was a big off-trail day, which was at times challenging but overall really fun. I'm getting much better at off-trail travel, though I'm not quite at mountain goat status like @friendofThundergod. It was nice to bag Nankoweap Butte, my 4th canyon summit. To be honest, it wasn't the most stunning view from the top but the geology was interesting (basically looked like we had landed on Mars) and I enjoyed the calf burning climb at the very end.

To sum up: another awesome trip in the big ditch. I love exploring new parts of the Grand Canyon, from its quaint creeks to epic peaks. I'm pretty bummed that we most likely won't be making any overnight trips in the canyon until the fall, but we were already brainstorming about some middle-of-the-night treks to beat the heat this summer. Just can't stay away from that place!

2018-04-28carriejane

Nankoweap Granaries

I have been wanting to do this one for a long time and it did not disappoint! Not only did it exceed my expectations, but it proved to be a perfect backpack to signal an end to the Grand Canyon backpacking season as well as a great way to honor my father’s birthday with something a little more special, which has been a tradition of mine for several years now.

The rough itinerary for this one included two days at Nankoweap Creek, the Granaries, a semi ambitious off trail loop incorporating Kwagunt Creek and a summit of Nankoweap Butte. We arrived late to the trailhead on Friday night, so we were not able to drag ourselves away from the air mattresses as early as we wanted and started around 7 a.m.

The hike down to Nankoweap Creek was the best of times and the worst of times. We both noted being a little fatigued and groggy for the 3 ish mile section to the saddle and point where you drop off the rim. From there, we both agreed the trail was not nearly as aggressive as we had thought it might be, but nevertheless we were both very happy the never ending traverse through the Supai was over. Then it was the steep hot descent to the creek. I am sure it could not have been more than 80 degrees, but that descent felt warm. In fact, it hit C.J. pretty hard at times and she experienced a little lightheadedness on the way down, which reaffirmed my decision that this was most likely our last major hike into the Canyon until fall. As one would expect, it was a great sense of relief for us when we finally hit Nankoweap Creek. However, instead of setting up camp, we took an extended break and decided to head for the much cooler water of the Colorado River, as neither one of us were much for the thought of sitting around at camp for six hours, while waiting for the sun to go down.

The hike down Nankoweap Creek was excellent and although fatigued, we both appreciated the pleasant creek and canyon. There are definitely more scenic creeks in the Grand Canyon, but Nankoweap certainly holds it own in my opinion. Once at the Colorado, it was a quick trip up to the granaries and then a dash to the river for cold water to filter and a quick dip. We found a decent little campsite near the beaches, but away from the blowing sand, made camp, ate dinner and got to bed pretty early. Speaking of dinner, there is nothing you can do this time of year in the Canyon to prevent a Reese from melting.

Day two was the big day for us. The plan was to hike along the Colorado River to Kwagunt Creek, where we would then hike up stream to the general area of the beginning of Butte Fault Route, which we would then take up to Nankoweap Butte and down the other side to Nankoweap Creek and back down stream to the Colorado and our campsite. The Colorado River portion of the hike was simply stunning, cool temperatures and some great morning light. Likewise, the route resembles a well defined trail more than an off trail canyon route, so the pace was relatively quick and the hiking pretty easy. This section of the Colorado may be one of my new favorite sections of river in the park. Kwagunt Creek was a gem in its own right, with tons of quaint cascades, fun geology and generally easy travel. But soon it was time for the climb to Nankoweap Butte and the toughest part of our day. I ended up opting for a route straight up the most predominant ridgeline in the area vs the drainage I had originally drawn a route to the summit from. I think the ridgeline we took may have been the actual geological feature described as the Fault Butte, but I am honestly not sure and need to do some additional research to find out. Either way, it was a very cool geological journey along that ridgeline to the saddle below Nankoweap Butte. Although, I am not sure if the ridgeline is the traditional Butte Fault Route. Despite seeming very close, the final climb tested us a little and gave our calves a wake up call. The summit was terrific and although probably not on par with some of the other ones I have done. However, I still found it rewarding and worth the effort. From the summit, it was the moon dust shuffle down to Nankoweap Creek, where we ran into some guys backpacking the Hayduke Tail, we chatted for a moment and then continued on our way back to camp. Once back at camp, we hopped in the Colorado to cool off and filter some water. Then it was breaking camp and heading back up Nankoweap Creek to the nice campsite we had taken a break at on the way in.

It was extremely windy all night, which prompted a tent relocation due to an arguably irrational fear that a suspect cottonwood in the area might come down on us. The wind made it tough to sleep, which made our early morning start on Monday a little tougher, but alas this is the backpacking life.

We left camp at six on the dot and although it was a slog at times and our muscles ached a little, we were back at the trailhead by noon.

Final Notes

This was a very satisfying little backpack. I remember reading triplogs about the granaries with a lot of envy years ago on HAZ, but at the time it was probably a little out of my league, but it remained in the back of my mind for a long time and I am glad I was able to finally knock it out, along with some additional off trail travel and a new summit, without using someone else's downloaded route. Speaking of route, one of the goals of this trip was to get a little taste of the Butte Fault Route for a perhaps a big trek towards Phantom Ranch from Nankoweap one day. I would by no means say I have it nailed down now, but I do believe I spotted the route to Melgosa Pass, which would be the next step in progressing along the rugged off trail route, so its a start. Also the route numbers are estimated, but I feel most likely pretty accurate. Its tough to get decent GPS routes in those canyons and there was too much spaghetti to clean up for my patience and I still kind of suck at route manager, so no posted route. However, I think I may be able to clean up the day two loop we did and will probably post that and attach it to this triplog one day. Finally, April 30 is always a special date and weekend for me and it’s been important for me to do something a little more special to honor my dad and this little trek certainly satisfied that. I really would give up every ounce of success and personal belonging I own for just five more minutes with the guy.

2018-04-28friendofThundergod

Nankoweap Granaries

This is my third Colorado River rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. Wade and I did the same trip two years ago in 2014--a 12-day hiking-intensive rafting trip with Hatch River Expeditions. I love this trip! Wade gave this to me for my 62nd birthday. This time; however, I went alone. Wade did not want to go as he's "Been there, Done that!" I was quite worried about the weather as it was supposed to rain the majority of the time based on weather reports at Phantom Ranch. God was looking out for us as the weather was perfect! We traveled from Lee's Ferry all the way to Whitmore Wash, 188 miles down the Colorado River taking in both the Upper and Lower Canyon. These motor rigs are 35' in length and 16' wide powered by a 30-horsepower, four-stroke motor. They have two tubes on the sides with you can ride in rapids if you want a great thrill! There were only 9 passengers and three crew on the upper canyon trip. Four hiked out at the Bright Angel Trail near Phantom Ranch leaving only 5 of us to go the full 12 days. 24 people hiked down from the South Rim to meet the boats at Pipe Creek for the next 6 days. If you've never done this trip, I highly recommend saving your $$ for this trip of a life time. It's not cheap, but worth every penny if you are adventurous, love to hike fairly difficult hikes and don't mind camping on the beach every night. You'll get to HATE SAND! But, heck, it's only sand. I will write more about his trip when I edit this triplog later. Some of the hikes that I can't find links to on HAZ include Saddle Canyon, the confluence of the Little Colorado River, Miner's Camp (North Bass Trail.) I'm doing my best to keep my "being" below the rim. I'm just not ready for real life yet, but it is nice to have a hot shower!

2016-04-09AZBeaver

Nankoweap Granaries

The entire party, 21 of us plus the river guides, headed up the short but steep trail to the granaries. This is one of the iconic side trips on any Colorado raft trip. It was slow going for most of the group, but everyone made it with no falls. The view up and down the river is impressive. The granaries have been rebuilt some over time, but are a great glimpse into Anasazi history.

2014-04-16AZWanderingBear

Nankoweap Granaries

Side trip to the granaries. Wow. Quite the climb, and straight up too. But the trail is well-built, with pretty good steps most of the way.

But the reward for your hard work is unmatched! Such an amazing site. Historic value of the place aside, the views are stunning. And getting out to the secondary granary (downstream direction) and the big cave (farther downstream) are a real treat of narrow exposed ledge fun.

There's an "upstairs" in the secondary granary, but getting to is impossible. I was able to set the timer on my camera and maneuver it up there for a photo, which was really neat.

We got to see three different boating parties (17 or 18 rafts in all) floating by while we were up there.

2013-09-22chumley

Nankoweap Granaries

The Nankoweap Trail has been a personal "nemesis" for several years. I think it's always been because of the hype surrounding the "scary part" and the overall level of difficulty that everyone seems to agree upon. Just about any material you read on this trail warns of imminent gloom and doom; even the name sounds a bit intimidating.

My first experience with Nank happened many years ago when the Fam was car camping at Marble Viewpoint (highly recommend). I drove out to the top of the North area (FR610) of the Saddle Mountain Trail. My goal that day was to hike to the "scary part" of Nankoweap and check it out for myself. I was solo and low on water when I basically got lost at the freakin' saddle and disappointingly never even found the Nank trailhead.

For the next several years, I continued to read more mystical stories (AZ Highways has a good one) and crazy triplogs about Nank and my anticipation for doing this hike increased each year.

Then last year Paul(PLC92084) had planned a very adventurous 5+ day adventure basically covering the entire region. My backpacking and hiking skills had exponentially increased and I felt very ready. However, family matters forced me to turn around and run home. Before leaving, I did get the lower (west) portion of the Saddle Mountain trail under my belt and easily found the actually Nank trailhead with Paul.

I now knew that a Nank-River journey would be my primary Canyon mission/focus and I was very determined to get this one under my belt. After coordinating times with John(9L) and Todd (Chums) I put in for a permit with the 3 month lottery (even coming to work to fax my app at 12:01am) and fortunately, won my first ever draw. Things were beginning to look good.

We knew Kyle(Tough_Boots) was solid. I left the filling of the last two permit spots to Chumley, figuring any impending deaths would be on his hands. I had hiked previously with the legendary BobP and was very pleased when I knew he was on-board (mainly because he brings sugar cookies). I believe it was Bob who subsequently invited Karl(BiFrost). [Karl decided to make his Nank experience a tad more difficult with an extra 2 miles and 1000 feet of gain on day one...(sorry again about the window Karl, I hate that it was my side that was accidentally left open)]. In my defense, I did carry our gallon of water up to the saddle for us to cache at the overlook).

Enough rambling, this trip was FREAKIN' awesome and a fantastic success. No injuries, and great weather and the Nankoweap Trail is just an awesome challenge!! There are a few sketchy parts where death is just an untied bootlace away, but nothing too serious. The steep down-climb on Tilted Mesa reminded me of the decent down South Canyon. I would argue this trail is tougher than Boucher (and New Hance) simply because of the persistent length of difficulty. The Nankoweap is just SO UNRELENTING and MENTALLY TAXING - I don't remember one section of the trail where you could really let go and relax your footing.

The graineries were very special and I thoroughly enjoyed the views. Very majestic!! My only beef is that my disloyal companions (the other 5 squids) TOTALLY dogged me for raft brewskis (and crappy PBR's at that) leaving me at the graineries all by my lonesome. (While there, I thought I heard the spirit of Paul Newman speak, but could not verify).

That evening, I did have a few issues...I had stupidly let a hot-spot on my 4th toe turn into a HUGE, painful blister. Secondly, the waist buckle on my pack broke. All of this (and the severity of the climb out) lead up to a rather anxious evening before we exited. Fortunately, the next AM, the hiking gods smiled upon me - - I effectively taped up the blister and the buckle actually held for most of the climb out. Like I suspected, climbing up Tilted Mesa sucked but once I reached that point, I knew I would see my kids again.

As always, backpacking with with my fellow HAZer friends proves to be MOST enjoyable and entertaining.

2013-09-21squatpuke

Nankoweap Granaries

Our Nankoweap trip started on Saturday morning. The six of us drove up the day before and car camped at the trailhead. The road in is a little rough especially the last few miles. Anyways we all staggered off at separate times and made the hike up to the Saddle Mountain overlook. This part of the hike is 3 miles and you gain a solid 1,500 feet. Along the way we passed at least six backpackers on their way out. We didn’t see any other backpackers until our exit two days later.

From the saddle you drop down through the Esplanade and start the long traverse through the Supai. The going is relatively easy with minimal gain and descent. We passed Marion Point and dropped some water. We continued and started the descent toward Tilted Mesa. The views are just spectacular! The descent from Tilted Mesa really gets the heart rate up. It’s steep and loose. I kept thinking no way there is a trail down this. There was and I was careful every step of the way. Eventually things level off and we made the final push to Nankoweap Creek.

Once at the creek we selected a campsite that was nestled in some Cottonwood Trees. This will be our home for the next two days. After getting set up I was hit with exhaustion and took a very enjoyable nap. Evening set in and we had some fun conversation and then turned in for the night. It was a warm evening and I don’t think anyone slept inside their sleeping bag. I was comfy in my Bivy.

On day two we all made the three mile hike to the river. The going is very easy and very scenic. Nankoweap Creek is beautiful! After an hour we reached the river delta and we all split up as we explored the general area which is huge! Eventually we saw the first set of rafters and made our way to their landing point. We successfully begged for beers and hung out with them for a few. Afterward a group of five of us, excluding Larry, made the hike up to the granaries. I was surprised at how high up they are. The granaries are spectacular! We took lots of pics and enjoyed a long break there. I could spend hours enjoying the views and the camaraderie. During our break another group of rafters landed and a third passed down the mighty Colorado. After successfully begging for more beers we returned to camp and settled in for the evening. The temps were cool and pleasant on day two.

We woke very early on day three and wanted to get a jump on the sun. I was the last to leave camp and carried five liters of water with me. I wasn’t taking any chances on the dry hike out. I would only drink 3+ liters. The hike up Tilted Mesa had me a little on edge after our descent down two days earlier. I felt great and cruised up. It was much easier and I felt way more comfortable on the ascent. We regrouped on the saddle and then Chumley and I started the traverse out the Supai. The going was fairly easy but there are a few spots that are a little unnerving. There are no “OH MY GOSH” obstacles along this hike. However cumulative they all add up to make for an anxiety filled day. We debated on if Nankoweap is more difficult than Boucher. I personally think it is however the others had a different opinion. We’ll need to continue the debate another time.

We reached the saddle and then Chumley and I made the final descent back to the vehicles at the trailhead. We had some celebratory beers as the others stumbled in. From there we returned to Flag for NiMarco’s and then back to Phoenix. This was such a memorable trip! I will definitely hike it again and could not recommend it enough!

2013-09-21John9L

Nankoweap Granaries

Wow. Sweet trip! I hurt a little bit!

Hike Info: The first 3 miles up FS Nankoweap Trail 57 to the NPS boundary is a killer grind. With a full pack, carrying water, etc. it'll get to you!
The rest of the hike is long but not terrible. The previously reported "scary spot" has been improved and is not particularly scary. Not to say that just anybody should be out here. Plenty of people would not be comfortable on any of this trail. It is exposed, angled, and there's lots of scree. It is definitely not for the inexperienced canyon hiker.

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of shade. Don't get me wrong. It is a south and west facing hike almost the entire way. But I was happy that there are some occasional junipers and little overhangs or drainages that provide a brief respite from the blazing sun. But there are not many.

The traverse seems to go on forever, and when the trail finally drops off Tilted Mesa, the footing becomes spectacularly loose. I was happy to have trekking poles to help with stability (a heavy pack on your back certainly doesn't help), but still managed to fall twice.

Once at the creek, we found a suitable camp site in some cottonwoods just across the creek and slightly downstream of where the trail enters. There is a good flat area for camping several hundred yards upstream as well, but there is very little shade there. A bit over a mile upstream there is another good camping area, this one shaded and flat, but unless your route is taking you upstream, I wouldn't consider going that far to camp.

The hike downstream to the river was pleasant and relatively easy. Once near the river, stick to the use paths and head south to the beaches and the Granaries trail. Following the creek into the delta to the river will get you tangled in a mess of tamarisk and other scrub brush.

On the hike out, we left at sunrise, and in the 2+ hours it took to reach Tilted Mesa we were pleasantly surprised that about half the hike was shaded. This will be less true later into the fall as the sun rises farther south than in late September. Once on the traverse, the only shade was found in the occasional drainage, overhang, or small treel.

Don't underestimate the last 3-miles once you reach the saddle. It lasts forever, and the 400-foot climb about a mile from the car is the last thing you want to deal with after 5-6 hours of hiking already!

Fun Stuff:Great group of people. Good to meet Karl for the first time. I think BobP was there, but he likes to hike when normal people are asleep, so I'm not really sure. I think he did about 40 miles the rest of us skipped. It was a very safe trip, with some taking safety more seriously than others, for which I was supremely thankful. Not sure why rafters carry PBR on the river, and I might have complained, but that's not like me, so I just shut up and enjoyed a Modela instead. Also had a pretty G'Knight. Or 4. Slept great!

First night was warm for sleeping, but a cold front pushed through with crazy winds late Saturday night and Sunday. Got sand blasted on the beach by the river a little bit. Went for a swim in 47-degree cold Colorado river. Very refreshing. Sunday night was much cooler and very pleasant for sleeping. The Mountain House dinners were good I suppose. I was disappointed nobody brought bacon, but somehow survived anyway.

Of course this all ended at NiMarcos where everybody (not just 9L) consumed more calories than we could have possibly burned hiking out earlier in the day. Pizza and wings make for a pretty good post-hike snack.

Fun trip. Thanks for getting the permit Larry!

2013-09-21chumley

Nankoweap Granaries

That is one steep trail.

We made camp at the trailhead Friday night and headed out early Saturday morning. After making your way to the edge of the rim, you make an initial steep descent. The trail quickly evens out into an extremely long traverse. As you approach Tilted Mesa everything changes. The hike quickly becomes a real toe smasher and continues that way all the way to the bottom. It's painful. Its definitely worth it-- its not the prettiest trail in the canyon but it's still the Grand Canyon so it's awesome by default. The rumored "sketchy spot" is not at all sketchy. The only areas causing concern are while hiking on the steep skree areas.

We got to the creek pretty early. I hung out and let the others scout around to pick a camp area. Bob had left at like 2am and he was still out exploring. The guys returned with a camping decision and they had picked up a Bob along the way. The creek is nice and clear and Chumley made us a nice little pool.

Sunday morning we took our time getting up and headed down the creek to the river. Its nice hike down there-- no real obstacles and you can avoid getting wet. Everyone split up by the time we hit the river and we eventually all found each other. We scammed some beers from some rafters and then headed up to see the ruins. Its a steep trail up there but the view from the granaries is awesome. We hung out for a bit and then headed down when we saw a new crew of rafters hit the beach-- we would scam more beers from these folks. We eventually headed back up creek and relaxed the rest of the day.

Monday morning we woke up early. I got up at 5am and apparently didn't get around fast enough to eat breakfast since we wanted to get the steep part done before it warmed up. I would see how 5,500 ft feels on nothing but Cliff Bar power. I was getting nervous about the hike the night before but it turned out to not be so bad even with a heavy pack on. We had cached water on the way down so no one would have to ration. Karl and I stayed near the back of the crew and we trudged our way out of the ditch.

We finally made it back to the trailhead around 2pm and enjoyed some cold beer-- well worth the effort. We headed back to Flagstaff to watch 9L suck on some wings at NiMarco's as usual and then back on home to Phoenix.